bearings

I’ve been finding my bearings this week, walking out from the mill (with the dogs) and experimenting with various circular walks – the more off-road and beach focused the better, as far as Bob and Bran are concerned.

On Friday (a day of pounding hail and high winds) I took a walk to the rat stane and today (in better weather) I asked Tom to walk back to Pennyseorach with me, with a camera.

But what on earth is the rat stane, I hear you ask?

This is the rat stane.

The OS survey of 1958 records the site as follows:

Coins and other small objects still shone beneath the surface of the murky water when we looked there again today.

I enjoy such places of local ritual, and wonder a lot about them. Did the “font” once contain a turning stone (like similar stones I’ve seen in Islay and Ireland)? Was there a well nearby?

Having approached Pennyseorach on foot from the other direction earlier in the week, I wanted to try an up and over approach around the headland (against Tom’s better advice, I have to say)

This is not an ascent I would want to attempt later in the year (there already being brambles and bracken stems and nettles a plenty, and it only March) but I’m very glad we made it up to the top of the cliffs today because the view from up there is glorious.

Above us, larks and rock pipits rose singing from the hillside, a hare darted away, and the air smelt powerfully of gorse. Spring has definitely sprung!

We are enjoying pottering about on foot around our new patch enormously – treading new paths, finding our bearings.

. . . and the dogs are also definitely in their element.

Next week the KDD team will be busy with our annual stock take. Then the week following, we’ll have Colour at Work back in stock, and will also be able to make an announcement about our brand new project. Stay tuned!

Hope your Sunday includes some sunshine, and possibly a lark or new lamb or two.